08.02.1996

Clean break with Labour

Phil Felstead is one of the ex-miners in Hemsworth who worked throughout the SLP campaign. He worked at South Kirkby colliery until it closed in 1988 and was then forced into redundancy as a result of his militant record. Lee-Anne Bates spoke to him about the SLP

What were your impressions of the SLP campaign in Hemsworth?

I welcomed the SLP move to the left, away from the Labour Party. But during the campaign I have discovered that there are many arguments to be had with those involved in the SLP about its policies and programme. Not least its desire to isolate itself from other leftwing organisations.

There is also a lot of work to be done to activate the new people signing up, not just in election campaigns but in strikes and disputes and local issues.

Have you joined the SLP?

No, I worry that it will be just another parliamentary party, despite the positive move to the left. At the moment I must admit I do not know where the SLP goes from here, in Hemsworth itself and nationally. Even those of us campaigning in Hemsworth have no idea what the SLP will do here next.

A lot of good militants have joined up but there are no plans to build the party locally and no programme around which to unite people as yet.

I admire Scargill and his political views and record in many ways. I am certainly sick to death of ‘new’ Labour’s politics, but I would like to think we are sick to death of ‘old’ Labour as well. I hate Blair, but then I’ve hated all the Labour leaderships. Being a miner I was disgusted, though not surprised about Kinnock’s attitude to us and the trade union movement as a whole. I am not sure that a fundamental break with Labour has been made by Arthur. Just being against ‘new’ Labour is not enough.

There doesn’t seem to have been any thought about what the party is actually going to do or crucially who is going to do it. It is only the left that can do this work and it is up to us to make sure we build the type of party we need. So far there has been no debate over policies or strategy. I do not think Arthur recognises the importance of this, his has been almost a reflex reaction against ‘new’ Labour.

Do you think left organisations and people like yourself can change that situation?

It will certainly take a lot of argument that must be had if this is not going to remain Scargill’s personal party. A lot of people have been won to Scargill because of his record and because they are sick of ‘new’ Labour, but that is not enough. It has to go further than that now.

Have you been in any other political organisation?

I have never really been impressed by the existing organisations, though I have worked a lot with the Socialist Workers Party. I was cautiously happy when the SLP was announced because it would open up leftwing debate around policies and the sort of party we need.

I campaigned for the SLP in Hemsworth as a way of starting to put the boot into Blair and his policies. This was a shift to the left and I was prepared to add my voice to it and give it any help I could.

Do you think now that your voice can be part of making the SLP a revolutionary party rather than an ‘old’ Labour party?

I will certainly do all I can. I think it is important for all socialists to do this, like yourselves and Militant Labour and not accept the draft constitution’s position, that if you are not with us, we don’t want you.

Workers who have been attacked by unemployment, homelessness and cuts are angry. Labour in power is set to attack workers even more viciously. Socialists must be there to tap into that anger and build a revolutionary party equipped with revolutionary politics and a clear vision of the way forward.

If the SLP continues to isolate itself from the rest of the left it cannot succeed as that revolutionary party.